Finally: Missing Romione Moments from the Deathly Hallows
by Fluff-is-awesome
Summary: Everyone has a fic of missing moments, I figure I might as well add mine to the mix! These moments are only at the very end of DH and They're short but sweet, and similar to many other fics, but it's my version of what I believe Ron and Hermione's relationship is Please R/R, I stay canon!
1. Chapter 1

**So these moments are all snippets at the end of DH, and I admit I took a lot of ideas from other fanfics I've read. This is all my favorite ideas put into one! I own nothing it all belongs to JKR!**

"Let's split up," Harry said. "Look for a stone bust of an old man wearing a wig and a tiara! It's standing on a cupboard and it's definitely somewhere in here..."

Hermione didn't love the idea of splitting up, but she and Ron did as they were told, each taking different aisles among the piles of hidden objects.

A tiara... old man with a wig...

Hermione searched through the piles, but her mind was elsewhere. 'Its now or never, isn't it?' That's what he had said. Was that true? Would they never get another chance? Now that she finally knew what it was like to kiss him, feel him kiss her back, she realized just how foolish they had been. How long had he been yearning to kiss her too? They had spent 7 years of their life misunderstanding each other, yet completely understanding each other at the same time. How many times had she tried to resist the temptation to tell him, to kiss him, to show him that she loved him, because she'd thought he would not return it? Yet again, how many times had she felt like he had been hinting to her, that he did feel the same way, and wanted it as much as she did? She had dismissed the idea every time, refusing to believe it was true, making the excuse that it was just her imagination.

But now she knew. Now it was clear. And now it was too late to do anything about it.

"Hey," she heard him say quietly behind her. Startled, she dropped the wooden chair leg she hadn't realized she was absentmindedly staring at and let out a little gasp. She felt his hand gently grasp her arm and she turned around to face him.

She looked longingly into his blue eyes as he searched her face, wishing she could make up for all the lost time. How could she have been so stupid?

"We're going to make it, you know," he said quietly.

She tried to answer him, but no sound came out. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes and she felt her throat clog. Why did this have to happen now? Why couldn't they just pretend it was still fourth year at Hogwarts before all this nonsense got in the way, when they had all the time in the world...

He leaned his forehead against hers and pulled her close to him. She closed her eyes and felt his breath against her face. God, she wanted him to kiss her again, to feel his lips against hers again...

"When all of this is over," he whispered against her lips. She could feel his heart beating against her chest and his lips so close to hers she could hardly resist. She tried to steady her breathing and stop herself from pressing her lips against his once more. His hand rested against her back, and he lifted the other to rest against her cheek. His thumb gently traced her jaw down to her chin.

"When all of this is over," she promised.

His lips brushed lightly against her face, just missing her lips, hinting at what was to come.

And then he was gone, and she was forced to bring herself back to reality as a shelf swayed and there was a shout from the aisle next to hers.

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**This one is kinda based on something that happened in my favorite fanfic A Call to Arms by My Dear Professor McGonagall... It's not necessary that you read it but it's so great so please do! Oh and I also kinda reference another favorite, Reasons to Fight by Lady Emily, but again it's totally not necessary. I'm just sort of giving you an idea of my personal context :)**

They reached the Great Hall and Ron paused, not ready to face his family. He was afraid of what he would see. Despite his fears, he knew he had to face them eventually, so he gripped Hermione's hand and walked in.

He saw his family surrounding Fred, George kneeling at his head and his mother sobbing into his chest. Ron felt numb as he walked up to his family. He saw Hermione join Ginny, and Percy put his arms around Ron's shoulders. The tears started coming before he could stop them. It didn't feel real. He watched George struggle to breathe and his face looked absolutely pain-stricken, and Ron knew deep down that as much as losing his brother hurt, no one would know what it felt like to be George.

Ron felt Percy squeeze his shoulders, and suddenly understood the guilt he must be feeling. They were both there when it happened, both saw Fred's last moments alive, and neither of them did anything to stop it. He allowed his mind to replay what had happened and let the guilt flow through him. Merlin he hated himself. He had watched the whole thing and hadn't done anything!

Ron felt a hand slip into his and he looked over at Hermione's tear-stained face. He remembered how she had kept him sane and hopeful despite what he had just witnessed. Above all he was reminded that she was still there and breathing, and he hung on to that thought for dear life. She was future, she was the light at the end of the tunnel when the struggle through darkness was over. As long as Hermione was still here he had something worth fighting for, and something worth living for.

Ron took a deep breath and squeezed her hand, attempting to send the message that he would be alright. He looked back at George who had abruptly stood up, as if he had suddenly realized something.

George turned slowly to look at Ron. His face was impassive and he looked almost as dead as the body on the ground. Fear coursed through him. He had never seen George look like this before. His face was unrecognizable as the light-hearted mischief-maker Ron was so used to seeing. George's eyes passed over Ron and landed on Percy behind him. His face turned to pure anger and hatred.

"You!" George said in a hoarse voice. He slowly pushed passed Ron to stand face to face with Percy who grimaced in guilt. "You said you would bring him back to me," George said dangerously. Percy stayed calm and simply closed his eyes and hung his head in shame. The rest of the family stayed silent, stunned by the outburst. George's breathing became heavier. "You were supposed to keep him safe! You promised me!"

Faster than anyone had expected, George suddenly flung his fist at Percy's face and Percy did nothing to stop him. The sickening sound of the punch caused the rest of the family to snap into action. Ron pulled Percy away from George and Bill grabbed George's arms, clasping them behind his back. Hermione stepped back and pulled Ginny out of the way.

"You bloody selfish prat!" George shrieked, his wild, desperate eyes filled with angry tears. "You heartless, ungrateful, arrogant bastard! You-"

"George!" Bill yelled, holding him back as George struggled to release himself from the tight grip. "Control yourself! You can't blame this on Percy. No one is at fault for what happened."

George stopped struggling, breathing hard. His eyes never left Percy's. "You promised..." he whispered. Whimpering, he fell to his knees again and let out a sound of pure grief and pain that Ron had never heard before. It sent a stab of sharp pain right through his chest. He felt right then and there his entire family falling apart, and that hurt more than anything.

Ron felt Hermione's arms wrap tightly around his waist and she pressed her face against his chest. Grateful for the embrace, Ron held her close and buried his head into her bushy hair. He was sobbing now, full of not only grief but fear; absolute fear of what would come of his family now that it was broken by the loss of one member.

**So the whole thing about George being angry at Percy has to do with what happened during the war in ****A Call to Arms****. I give that wonderful author the credit for the inspiration.**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**This ones really good I think... :) I thought of it after reading a different fanfic although unfortunately I do not remember which one... It has a lot of stuff directly from the book as well as a hint of my personal canon Dumbledore's Army and the Year of Darkness by Thanfiction so... Not mine!**

"Ron! Hermione!"

Neville came up to them in the Great Hall, putting on a very mature, businesslike demeanor. It was amazing how much the kid had transformed in the passed year. As the leader of an army, he was hardly recognizable as the same clumsy little boy from their first year at Hogwarts.

"How are you guys holding up?" he asked them.

"We're doing alright Neville," Hermione answered. "Is the DA still going?"

"We've lost fifteen of the hundred and ten who stayed and three are badly wounded, but we still have most of our soldiers plus most of the aurors, and the reinforcements should be coming..." He hesitated, unsure of what to say next. "Where's Harry?"

Sudden realization hit both of them at the same time. Ron saw Hermione's eyes widen as his stomach jolted. All thoughts of his family left him as he grabbed Hermione's hand and they ran out of the Great Hall down the corridor.

"Shit, shit, shit..." Ron muttered to himself. How could they have been so irresponsible? Harry was the one thing that could end this bloody war, and they, his two best friends, had lost track of him. They had _lost_ him. Who _knew_ what Harry would do without supervision? What he suspected was not good... not good at all...

"He-he wouldn't have- turned himself in- would he?" Hermione asked breathlessly as they ran.

Ron laughed bitterly. "Don't kid yourself Hermione. You know Harry as well as I do and I would _not_ put it passed him to think it was best to make a _bloody_ sacrifice..."

They ran down the staircases as fast as they could. If they could just reach the forest in time, maybe they could stop him...

_"Harry Potter is dead,"_ Voldemort's voice echoed through the castle.

"No!" Hermione breathed disbelievingly. They stopped running.

_"He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone."_

As the hissing echoing voice faded, Ron and Hermione stood in silence in the empty corridor of the school.

"God _damn_ it!" Ron yelled breaking the silence. "You leave the guy alone for _one_ bloody minute..." Kicking the wall in fury, he sat down on the rubble and put his face in his hands. He could feel himself physically shaking. It was over... The whole war was lost in only a few hours, after years of anticipation...

"We're such terrible friends," Ron moaned, "We shouldn't have let him out of sight."

"He could be lying," Hermione said shakily, but she looked just as scared and defeated as he felt. "You never know, maybe he's just trying to trick us-"

"He's not lying."

"But-"

"Hermione he's not _lying_!" Ron yelled looking up at her, tears threatening to fall again. Couldn't she see what was happening, right in front of her eyes? They were losing. They had lost. No happy endings for them. He would never get to have the future he had been fighting for.

Just then people started running out from the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall in the lead and Ginny right behind her.

"Come on," Hermione said with a determined voice, pulling him off the ground. "I won't believe it until I see it."

They joined the crowd running to the entrance gate to the castle, dreading what they were going to find. McGonagall threw open the gate and they stopped at the entrance to the castle. Everything was suddenly hushed as they watched the small dark shadow in anticipation as it came closer.

Ron's breath caught in his throat when he saw the limp body being carried towards them.

"No!" McGonagall shrieked, sending a shiver down his spine.

"No!" Ron echoed. Cries continued throughout the crowd as they watched Hagrid, Voldemort and the Death Eaters approach and halt in front of the castle. It was too much... It was all too much...

"SILENCE!"

The crowd went quiet instantly. The amount of power Voldemort had over the soldiers was astounding. It was as though someone had flicked a switch and there was no way of knowing if the light would ever turn back on.

"It is over!" The finality of the statement was crushing. It extinguished what seemed to be the last bit of hope Ron had left.

"Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs," Voldemort said coldly.

As Hagrid laid him down on the grass, Ron could not tear his eyes away from the body. It wasn't right. It didn't seem real. If he didn't know better he would have sworn he was just sleeping, just like he had seen him sleeping in the school dorm and in the tent...

Hermione leaned into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist. He could feel her shaking with sobs. Ron clung to her with all the strength he could muster. She was the only thing holding him down now, keeping him anchored to the world. If he lost her, he would have nothing to turn to. He couldn't lose her. Not now.

"You see?" Voldemort hissed delightfully. It was sickening. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones?"

Ron continued to stare blankly at Harry's body. His unmoving hands, his broken glasses, his ripped shirt exposing his scarred chest as it slowly rose and fell.

Ron froze, realizing what he just saw. _It couldn't be_, he thought. He was dead, Voldemort said it! He had to be imagining it. But looking more closely, Harry's chest was no doubt moving in a slow rhythmic motion, rising and falling.

"_Hermione!_" he whispered softly.

"Ron," she whimpered back, misunderstanding his exclamation. She tightened her grip around his waist.

"No, no Hermione! Listen to me!" Ron said frantically, grabbing her by her shoulders so he could look her in the eyes. "He's not dead!" he hissed at her.

"Ron don't!" she sobbed angrily, "It's too late, it's over! I know-"

"No! Hermione I'm not making it up! I swear his chest is _moving_! He's _breathing_, Hermione!"

Her eyes widened realizing what he meant. She turned to look at his body on the ground.

"He was nothing, ever," Voldemort continued, "but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

"He beat you!" Ron called out, desperate for someone else to realize what was happening.

"_No!_" Hermione hissed at him, pulling him back. "He can't _know_, Ron! I don't know how he did it, but Harry must have tricked him-"

"He was killed while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds," Voldemort sneered, "killed while trying to save himself-"

All of a sudden, Neville burst out from the crowd with his wand raised to strike. Voldemort easily flicked his wand towards him and Neville flew back and slammed against the ground.

"And who is this?" Voldemort asked amused. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

Bellatrix laughed excitedly, as if things couldn't get any better. "It's Neville Longbottom, my Lord! The boy who has been giving the Carrows so much trouble! The son of the aurors, remember?"

"Ron!" Hermione whispered, her eyes suddenly alert. Ron could see the wheels turning. "It's not over yet! If we could just get the snake..."

Realization dawned on him. "Voldemort would be mortal," Ron continued, following her train of thought.

"And Harry could still defeat him!" she finished.

They stared at each other, a new spark of hope suddenly forming. They could still win. All they had to do was kill the snake. But how would Harry kill Voldemort without giving himself away?

"Ah, yes, I remember," Voldemort smiled. "But you're a pure blood, aren't you, my brave boy?"

"So what if I am?" Neville said boldly, staring at Voldemort with anger and hatred.

"You show spirit and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death Eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," Neville spat at him. "Dumbledore's Army!" he shouted, thrusting his wand in the air.

Ron and Hermione gave an answering cheer with the rest of the crowd, copying his movement. A fresh wave of excitement and determination rippled through the soldiers and Ron knew they still had a chance to win this.

"Very well," said Voldemort dangerously. "If that is your choice, Neville Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head, be it."

Voldemort waved his wand and the crowd watched, unsure of what was going to happen. Then the Sorting Hat burst through the window and flew into Voldemort's hands. Ron had a feeling this would be much worse than a simple re-sorting.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts School. There will be no more houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will be sufficient for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

Voldemort put the hat on his head and Neville gave him a disgusted look. Before Neville could respond he went rigid under the body binding curse. The crowd became restless, eager to jump in and stop whatever terrible thing was about to happen to their commander. Ron dearly hoped Harry had some sort of plan..._think_ Ron! He had to do something! He looked at the snake at Voldemort's side. What _could_ he do?

The Death Eaters raised their wands as a warning. He needed a distraction. If he could just get a little closer...

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me."

The hat went aflame and Neville let out a deafening scream. Before Ron could react, a thundering army of centaurs and giants came barging through the gates of the castle and chaos erupted.

That was their chance. "Come on!" Ron yelled to Hermione, and they charged towards Voldemort and Nagini. Suddenly, Neville's body bind curse lifted and before Ron knew what was happening, the Sword of Gryffindor slashed through the air and sliced the head off the snake. As Voldemort's scream echoed through the hall, Neville met Ron's eyes. He had known. Somehow, Neville had known that the snake had to be destroyed before Voldemort could truly die.

"HARRY! HARRY- WHERE'S HARRY?" Hagrid's voice boomed over the chaos. Ron looked around for Harry, wondering how he had escaped being seen. Then it hit him.

Looking at Hermione, they both realized at the same time, "_The Cloak!_"

**Neville will be in the history books my friends... He was the leader of an army and trained soldiers that fought in a famous battle. He deserves just as much credit as the Golden Trio. Can't you hear it now? "Commader Neville Longbottom of Dumbledore's Army..."**

**Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This one's a little lighter but it's still cute :) I hope you like it!**

Seeing the body on the ground and Harry standing with a wand in either hand, Hermione cheered and ran up to him, Ron on her heels. She threw her arms around him as Ron tackled him from behind.

"You did it, Harry! You did it!" she kept exclaiming, but it was drowned out by the rest of the cheers of the crowd. She gripped Harry as tightly as she could, absolutely relieved that he was still standing, that all three of them were still standing. She couldn't believe how close she had come to losing the only brother she had ever had.

The mob of celebrating war heroes surrounded the three of them, and Hermione was pushed away from Harry by a flash of long red hair. She felt a hand tug her out of the crowd and she was pulled into an open space in the Great Hall.

"Ron-" she started turning to him. But before she could finish he pulled her to him and kissed her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she enthusiastically kissed him back.

This. This is what she had fought for. This is what she wanted for the rest of her life, and she was not going to waste any more time beating around the bush. She moved her hands to the back of his neck and deepened the kiss, taking it slow, because now-now they had all the time in the world.

"I love you," Ron breathed onto her lips, kissing her again. Shivers went up her spine and she smiled into his lips.

"I know," she murmured breaking the kiss. "I love you too."

Ron smiled at her and she dug her head into the crook of his neck. They stood holding each other, taking in each other's presence and feeling relief that they were really both still there.

Ron's stomach growled loudly and Hermione giggled.

"Are you hungry, Ronald?" Hermione teased.

"Starving," he smiled at her, and they went to sit at one of the tables across from Oliver Wood and Alicia Spinnet.

"I'm so hungry I could probably eat as much as you!"

"I doubt that." Ron grabbed a piece of chicken and Hermione began to fill her plate with food.

She picked up her fork to dig in, when she looked at Ron's plate.

"Oh my god!" she stared incredulously at the number of clean bones on his plate. "How many have you eaten already?"

"I've only had three," he said defensively with his mouth full.

"Only?"

She raised her eyebrow at him. Although normally she might have scolded him for being so rude, she decided to try something different.

"Alright," she said, grabbing a piece of chicken herself, "I'll take the challenge."

Hermione looked at him expectantly. Ron stared at her for a second, surprised by her un-Hermione-ish behavior, before taking another piece in his hands. "Go!" he said, and they both started devouring their pieces of chicken.

As Hermione stuffed the chicken into her mouth as fast as she could, she glanced over at Ron and her eyes bulged.

"Awooh-" Hermione tried to ask with her mouth full. She swallowed and tried again. "How do you do that?"

She wiped her mouth and put down her half-eaten piece of chicken, pointing at Ron's already clean bone on his plate.

Ron smiled and shrugged. "It comes naturally," he said cheekily. Hermione rolled her eyes but smiled back.

"So," Wood said, who had been enjoying the unexpected entertainment. "How long have you guys been dating?"

Hermione paused and slowly put down her fork. "Er-we...uh..." How was she supposed to answer that? "We haven't exactly been...uh... dating..." She could sense Ron's gaze and felt herself blush.

"Well, obviously that would be kinda hard this past year wouldn't it?" Wood saved her. Hermione sighed in relief. "But I mean," Wood continued, "How long have you two actually been together?"

He looked at her expectantly again. What should she say? They hadn't really been together at all. But now? What about now? She had kissed him! And he had kissed her back! Didn't that mean they were together?

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ron look at his watch. _ Don't look at him, don't look at him_. "Well-"

"About seven hours," Ron said suddenly. She whipped her head towards him. Was he serious? He raised his eyebrow questioningly at her, asking for confirmation. She gawked at him for a moment. Seven hours... why seven hours? Then she realized what must have occurred seven hours ago. She smiled broadly at him.

"Yeah," she said not taking her eyes off of Ron. "Yeah about seven hours," she confirmed.

Wood laughed loudly. "_Seven hours?_" he asked incredulously. "No seriously how long?"

Ron and Hermione both looked at him. "We _are_ serious." Hermione answered confused. Did he think they had been together longer?

"Oh my god!" Wood laughed again turning to Alicia next to him. "Did you hear that Leesh? They're _serious! Seven_ hours! Ron and Hermione have only been together _seven_ hours!"

"No way!" she said turning towards them. "Really?"

She and Wood were acting like they were sharing some longtime inside joke that Ron and Hermione didn't know about. Hermione glanced at Ron. He looked just as lost as she did.

"Yes really," Hermione said defensively. "What-"

"Hey it's me." Ron and Hermione jumped slightly. Hermione looked towards where the voice came from but saw nothing. Harry was under the Invisibility Cloak again. "Will you come with me?"

Ron and Hermione excused themselves from the table where Alicia and Oliver were still laughing over their joke, and they followed Harry out of the Great Hall.

**Last chapter for now... Please review and let me know if I should keep going!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Alright this'll be my last one for now... Again I thought of this after reading some fics, but most of it is my ideas. I get so fed up with Romione fics where they're constantly having huge fights over stupid things... Yes they bicker, but they are friends you know! I see their relationship as very easy, unlike most people... In my mind they know each other so well and the transition from best friends to lovers is very smooth. So anyway, this snippet is right after the whole shananigan in Dumbledore's office... Enjoy!**

The trio lied down on the grass by the lake appreciating the peaceful morning.

"It's really over, isn't it?" Harry said to Ron and Hermione.

"It really is." Hermione rolled onto her stomach. "What do you want to do now that you don't have to worry about Voldemort taking over the world anymore?" she asked Harry.

"He'll be an auror of course," Ron said. "He probably doesn't even need to go through training. He could get the job just by asking for it."

Hermione looked at Ron. "Well so could you."

Ron frowned. "Yeah...yeah I could..."

He didn't seem very sure of himself. She hated that he always underestimated himself. He was so quick to put himself down. Couldn't he see that he deserved just as much credit for defeating Voldemort as she and Harry did?

"What about you Hermione?" Harry asked, "What do you see yourself doing ten years from now?

Hermione considered the question. What did she want to do? She honestly had not figured out a career path during her time at school because she was so focused on helping Harry. She hadn't even known if she would have a future to speak of. But now she did, and she didn't know what she wanted.

Hermione looked at Ron, who was lying on his back with his eyes closed and his hands behind his head. Alright that wasn't true, she knew exactly what she wanted. She could picture herself, ten years from now, living happily in a magical house like the Burrow with a big family with lots a red hair...

But she couldn't say that.

"I... I don't know," she answered. "I guess... I guess I could go back to school for my seventh year. We kind of missed out on our last year at Hogwarts."

Ron chuckled. "I think everyone did. You really think with the Carrows in charge people actually got a legitimate education?"

Harry and Hermione laughed darkly. That was probably true. She wondered how many students would be coming back to redo their seventh year.

"Are you going to go back?" Hermione asked.

Ron sighed. "I don't know. I'm not sure... I'm not sure if my family will want me to..."

"Oh," Hermione remembered, trying not to sound disappointed. "Of course."

"You should write a book, Hermione," Ron said suddenly.

"A book?"

"Yeah. Do you know what kind of rumors are going around about what we've been up to all year? The press is gonna make us sound insane! You could write a book. 'The Legend of The Golden Trio: The Real Story.' Get the truth out, you know?"

A book. That actually didn't sound like a bad idea. It would be a good way to give the public an accurate insight on what the war was actually about. It would take a lot of time though, and writing books was not necessarily what she wanted to do for a living.

"Maybe," she answered.

The three of them were quiet for a little while as they took in the fresh morning air and listened to the peaceful birds chirping. No shouting and explosions, no spells being cast. Just peace.

"I'm going to head back to the castle," Harry said getting up. "There is probably a lot of reconstruction needing to be done, and I actually have something I need to take care of..." Harry started towards the castle and Hermione and Ron exchanged knowing looks.

"Hey, Potter!" Ron yelled after him. Harry turned back towards them. "Don't go hurting my sister!" He warned.

Harry smiled and nodded. "Same goes to you," he said, and continued walking back to the castle.

Hermione looked back down at Ron who looked so peaceful lying on the grass. She wished she could fix the tragedy in his family. She hated seeing him in pain. Nothing could change what had happened though, and they would just have to find a way to move on.

Hermione continued to think about their future. It was a wonderful thought, picturing herself holding a happy little girl with beautiful red curls, and Ron playing Quidditch with their son in the yard. Maybe they would get that future. Maybe.

"Why do you think you wouldn't get a job as an auror?" she asked.

Ron opened his eyes and propped himself up on his elbows. "It's not that I don't think I'd be able to get it," he said, "I just... I'm not so sure that's what I want to do anymore."

"It's not? But you've always wanted to be an auror!"

"Yeah I did... But Hermione, I've spent seven years of my childhood fighting off Death Eaters and whatnot, and I'm not sure I want to do that for the rest of my life."

Ron sat up and looked at Hermione. "Aurors go away a lot, Hermione. They go on missions. It's dangerous. I'm not going to want to do that. I want to settle down, have a family, you know...?" he trailed off.

She did know. She knew exactly. Did he picture a future with her too? Hermione gained a little more hope that things would finally start heading in the right direction.

Ron lied back down on the grass. "You look exhausted," Hermione said to him.

"I am," he muttered. "I could probably fall asleep right now."

Hermione lied down on her stomach next to him. "Me too." She closed her eyes and tucked her arm under her chin. Ron watched her curiously, and then adjusted his position closer to her. Hermione breathed in his scent and smiled to herself. She could do this. She could definitely do this...

Hermione woke up with cool air blowing on her back and a familiar scent next to her.

"Ron," she muttered sleepily. Hermione opened her eyes. Next to her, Ron snored quietly, his head turned towards her, and Hermione realized that she had her head somewhat tucked under his chin.

Hermione held her breath. Was this even possible? She had just woken up next to the guy she loved and had loved for so long, and it didn't even seem strange. It felt completely natural.

Hermione smiled to herself. She could get used to this. Feeling daring, she reached out and put her hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. It calmed her, knowing that he was still breathing and alive.

The sun was low in the sky, and Hermione knew that they needed to get back to the castle before dark and before anyone started to worry about them.

Hermione looked up at Ron's peaceful face. She didn't want to wake him, but she knew she would have to eventually. Slowly, she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and kissed the bottom of his chin.

"Ron," she said quietly. When he didn't move she kissed his chin again. "Ron, we should probably head back to the castle."

"Mmm...'Mione..." Ron stirred. He opened his eyes and looked up at Hermione. Realizing where he was, he smiled at her and reached up to cradle her face. "Morning," he said sleepily.

Giggling quietly, Hermione leaned her forehead against his. "It's not morning, Ron; it's evening, and if we don't get back soon your mother is going to start wondering what I've done with you. We've been sleeping all day."

Ron pecked her lips and Hermione stood up. "Come on," she said offering him her hands. Sitting up, Ron took her hands and pulled himself up. Hand in hand, they made their way back to the castle.

**As I said, totally natural. And not dirty either!**

**Not quite sure what moment I wanna do next but... Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So this one is just really fluffy and I just thought of it as a good way to break it to the family... And it's also me defending Ron and Hermione in taking their sweet time to start a relationship... Don't beat up on them they had no reason to rush into anything! I am a firm believer that if they didn't get together at the moment they did in the book, things would never have worked out. They didn't get together before Hermione kissed him in the Room of Requirement. That was their first kiss, and there was no ifs about whether or not they were together after that. They knew they were together as soon as she jumped him. Now, on with the story!**

Hermione, Harry and the Weasley family sat silently at a table in the Great Hall. Ron stared down at his food. He had tried to eat dinner but had lost his appetite. George had been there earlier, but had left almost as soon as he had come, wandering the school as the ghost of a dead man. Now, Ron sat next to Hermione and Percy sat on her other side. Across from him, Bill and Charlie sat similarly to Ron with their heads down, and Harry comforted Ginny next to them as she cried silently. His father was speaking with Professor McGonagall and his mother was keeping herself busy by helping the teachers with reparations and clean up.

"Oh!" Ron's mum came up to the table, "Ron, Hermione, I didn't realize you were here!"

Hermione gave her a small smile. "Yes, I'm sorry if we worried you Mrs. Weasley," she said kindly.

"Not at all dear," she said distractedly. "Ron eat your dinner it's getting cold!"

"I'm not hungry," Ron mumbled, slowly picking up his fork. Molly Weasley sighed, suddenly on the verge of tears.

Harry stifled a yawn. "Harry, dear," Molly said, "you must be exhausted. Go to bed."

Harry tried to protest but Molly have him a stern look that made it clear he had no choice. Harry reluctantly said good night and left the table, giving Ginny a kiss on the forehead.

"I should really go to bed as well," Hermione said quietly to Ron.

Ron looked up at her and squeezed her hand under the table. He wished he could go with her, but he didn't think he could leave his family yet.

"I'm awfully tired too, Mrs. Weasley," she said, "Is it all right if I go wash up as well?"

"Of course, Hermione," she said gently, "and please, call me Molly."

Thanking her, Hermione stood up to leave. She stopped behind Ron and wrapped her arms around him, putting her hands on his chest. "Come up when you're ready, yeah?" she said quietly, leaning her cheek against his.

"Yeah," he answered, looking up at her beautiful face. She studied him, trying to decide if he would be okay. Ron tried to send the message through his eyes that he would. Although he didn't want Hermione to go, he knew that she would wait for him. They had both mastered that over the years; waiting. There was no more urgency to watch her every moment now. They were safe; they had made it. No one could hurt her anymore, and that was more important to Ron than anything.

Hermione, getting the message that Ron would be alright, lightly kissed his lips and walked across the Great Hall.

Ron watched her leave and sighed heavily. _The faster you eat the faster you can get out if here_, Ron thought to himself. He picked up his fork and started picking at his food again.

That's when Ron realized that his entire family was staring at him. Bill had a bemused look on his face, Charlie was refraining from laughing, and Ginny was outright ginning at him. He looked over at Percy next to him, who was trying to act normal, but even he had a slight smirk on his face.

"Wha-" Ron began confused, but then realized what had made them stare at him. Scowling, he dug his fork into his plate and stuffed the food into his mouth.

"Why dear Ronnikins," Bill said teasingly, "is there something you've forgotten to tell us?"

Ron glared at Bill. He knew he would have to deal with this eventually. Unfortunately, now was the time.

"We're together now," he said crankily.

"Finally!" Ginny said, still grinning widely at him.

"It's about time," Charlie said, still trying not to laugh. Ron gave him a death look and he finally burst into a laughing fit.

"I don't see what's so funny about it," Ron mumbled. That only made Charlie laugh harder. Bill chuckled along with him.

"Well you see Ron," Ginny said in a mocking tone, "I don't think the two of you could have been a more obvious and predictable couple since fourth year."

"A _predictable couple_?"

"I think you two were the only ones in the school who didn't know you were crazy about each other," she explained.

Ron blushed. Everyone knew? He hadn't realized they were _that_ obvious. Sure, he had been hinting to her for a while, but he had thought it was very subtle. And it wasn't completely true that they hadn't known. He realized he had feelings for her after the Yule Ball, but he wouldn't even accept that he had fallen in love with his best friend until the end of sixth year. Maybe they hadn't been the most direct about they're feelings towards each other, but could they really blame them for not wanting to start a relationship at the brink of a war, when they could die at any moment?

Ron looked at Percy. "You knew too?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, I did have my suspicions, like everyone else," he answered matter-of-factly. Great. Even Percy had expected it.

"Who made the first move?" Ginny asked excitedly. Of course, she would want to know the details.

"She did," Ron said annoyed by her nosiness. "Does it matter?"

Instead of answering, Ginny threw her fist in the air. "Yes! _I_ was right pay up you guys!"

Bill groaned. "Aw, I was hoping you'd man up little brother," he said pulling out his wallet.

"You were _betting_ on us?" Ron asked exasperated.

"Oh no," Charlie said, "we weren't betting on you as a couple. That was a given. We were betting on who would initiate the relationship."

"Actually," Ginny said, "we were _originally_ betting on how long it would take you, but no one bet passed the end of your sixth year, so it ended up just being a wash." She smiled again. "You beat out all of us."

Ron groaned and put his face in his hands. He couldn't tolerate this anymore. They didn't even know half of what they had been through in the first place. He hadn't been clueless, and it wasn't like they had been doing nothing the past seven years. In fact, they had been quite distracted with saving the world every year!

"You know," he said to them, "just because the rest of the school may have been entertained by our relationship the past seven years, I don't regret how long it took to get us here. We've been through a lot more than most people at our age and we had every reason to hold off a relationship until after Voldemort was defeated." His siblings went silent and stared wide eyed at him, shocked at his willingness to say the name and at his directness. "She is seriously everything to me, and she's been everything for a lot longer than you all may think. And I have _always_ been aware of that."

And with that, Ron got up and left the table, heading to the door.

**So anyway, it's fluffy. Let me know how you like it!**


End file.
